Main Street Bridge Opening « Columbus Underground Messageboard

Columbus Underground Messageboard » General Columbus Discussion » Development

Main Street Bridge Opening

[166 posts] [62 contributors]

Topic Rating:

(Total Ratings: )
Rate this topic:

Started 1 year ago by somebuckeye
Latest reply from futureman

Tags:

12…9 Next »

somebuckeye
Franklin Park
Login to Send PM

The Main Street bridge is finally opening this week. I'm super excited because I've been waiting so so long for it, I'll finally be able to get downtown without going up to Broad street.

A couple of thoughts:

Even though I love look of the bridge and think it will be great for the city, it seems awfully expensive and took forever!

Why did it take over a decade to get this bridge replaced!? Because it's on the south end of downtown? Unacceptable for Columbus to only have one bridge connecting downtown to Franklinton for the past few years. I can't help but think if it was in the campus area it would have been demolished and replaced in 6 mos.

Posted 1 year ago #
10sun
Columbus, OH
Login to Send PM

The Franklinton Exit.

When the exit becomes an entrance, it might serve more of a purpose.

Posted 1 year ago #
deraj1013
Merion Village
Login to Send PM

From the Dispatch...

Main Street bridge - pretty, costly
The price has climbed past $60 million

By Doug Caruso and Robert Vitale

Mayor Michael B. Coleman has an answer to those who say the Main Street bridge is too expensive or took too long: "I imagine they said the same thing about the Brooklyn Bridge."

Did we just buy the Brooklyn Bridge?

Read more

Posted 1 year ago #
kessler
Georgian Heights
Login to Send PM

Yes it took to long! Yes it turned out to be costly!

However, I'm so happy it is opening as this creates a shortcut during my ride into work.

Posted 1 year ago #
CDS sherman
East Franklinton
Login to Send PM

i have a theory and it involves the demolition of the projects, now that riverside bradley is vacating and sunshine annex is gone they finally finished the bridge. the bridge was supposed to open 2 years ago, the original closing date for the public housing was also 2 year ago, now that the public housing is closed and closing it opens.... what a coincidence huh. again just a theory.

Posted 1 year ago #
Rockmastermike
CORNspiracy HQ
Login to Send PM

Just a guess, but I'm guessing that had more to do with the river south project timeline then anything on the other side. Spent some time over there last night and it all is in kind of the same stage of "almost ready for traffic". I can imagine opening the bridge two years ago into... closed/closing roads and ongoing construction/re-routing would have been... amusing perhaps, but not very useful.

(this is based on nothing more than my own observation of the projects, I have not other information atm)

Posted 1 year ago #
colrex7
Ohio
Login to Send PM

This will be a nice space to take pictures on. And I wonder if there will be any cool lighting at night, i imagine it would look pretty sweet at night.

Posted 1 year ago #
patient_zero
Falafel District
Login to Send PM

colrex7 wrote >>
This will be a nice space to take pictures on. And I wonder if there will be any cool lighting at night, i imagine it would look pretty sweet at night.

Yeah, I bet it would. The shoreline by the River Club at Confluence Park is a great spot for lightening photos as well.

Posted 1 year ago #
tudor1610
Columbus
Login to Send PM

I'm not familiar with what is on the west side of the river in that area <of the Main St.> bridge. I recall as a kid growing up, there were low income apartments, that kept me away. Are those low income apartments still there? If not, are there specific and approved plans to do something with that area? It doesn't make sense to have a beautiful bridge to cross just to end up in the middle of an eye sore of low income housing or vacant acres of space. Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to the bridge opening so I can enjoy a walk across.

Posted 1 year ago #
cyclist II
Short North & Peach District
Login to Send PM

Will there be a ceremony/ribbon cutting? What day and time? I'd like to get a bunch of pedicabs to cross it. Anyone want to be the first to cross the new bridge in a pedicab?

Posted 1 year ago #
Displaced Columbusite

Login to Send PM

Anyone have pics of the bridge, I have seen the ones here http://www.downtowncolumbus.com/progress/main-street-bridge, but was hoping to see some other views.

Posted 1 year ago #
10sun
Columbus, OH
Login to Send PM

cyclist II wrote >>
Will there be a ceremony/ribbon cutting? What day and time? I'd like to get a bunch of pedicabs to cross it. Anyone want to be the first to cross the new bridge in a pedicab?

Friday @ 10am or something I think.

Posted 1 year ago #
Analogue Kid
5th by West-Northwest
Login to Send PM

This is one of those projects that some people are furious about today, but it will be universally loved in a few years. I hope it doesn't scare the city away from doing adventurous bridge projects in the future, provided they can get a better handle on the cost. It's not so much that its expensive as the professor had the nerve to suggest it would only cost 1/3 the actual final price with nothing to back it up.

Posted 1 year ago #
Rockmastermike
CORNspiracy HQ
Login to Send PM

Analogue Kid wrote >>
This is one of those projects that some people are furious about today, but it will be universally loved in a few years. I hope it doesn't scare the city away from doing adventurous bridge projects in the future, provided they can get a better handle on the cost. It's not so much that its expensive as the professor had the nerve to suggest it would only cost 1/3 the actual final price with nothing to back it up.

IIRC from the engineering article I read somewhere (would have to google) the final price ended up a little higher in part because of material changes that were designed to make the bridge last longer before needing to be replaced again.

Posted 1 year ago #
CDS sherman
East Franklinton
Login to Send PM

Rockmastermike wrote >>
Just a guess, but I'm guessing that had more to do with the river south project timeline then anything on the other side. Spent some time over there last night and it all is in kind of the same stage of "almost ready for traffic". I can imagine opening the bridge two years ago into... closed/closing roads and ongoing construction/re-routing would have been... amusing perhaps, but not very useful.
(this is based on nothing more than my own observation of the projects, I have not other information atm)

thats a very good point, but main st on the east side of the river has always been open to traffic. miranova and waterford have accessed main st the entire time the bridge has been closed.

Posted 1 year ago #
byJody
Rural NW Columbus
Login to Send PM

The information I have is that the Main Street Bridge 'soft opening' is Friday, July 30 at 10:30 am. I don't have anything in writing, it was shared with me verbally.

They are encouraging folks to come by bicycle and ride across after the ribbon cutting.

If I get ahold of a press release, I will post it.

Wouldn't it be great if the City of Columbus Bike Share fleet showed up en mass, I bet most city employees have no idea it is available.

Posted 1 year ago #
surber17

Login to Send PM

I wish they would do stuff like this on the weekend so more of the public could show up.

Posted 1 year ago #
Lakee911
Clintonville (South)
Login to Send PM

surber17 wrote >>
I wish they would do stuff like this on the weekend so more of the public could show up.

Ha! Look at how much work they do during the week, do you think that they would actually show up and work on the weekend?

Posted 1 year ago #
Analogue Kid
5th by West-Northwest
Login to Send PM

The bridge is now unofficially open to pedestrian and two-wheeled traffic as of 15 minutes ago

Posted 1 year ago #
CDS sherman
East Franklinton
Login to Send PM

they have been marking the pavement all morning and to my surprise they gave us a 2 way rich st from belle to mcdowell!! this day keeps getting better.

Posted 1 year ago #